This document discusses building an ecosystem to support new product development for alopecia areata (AA). It outlines key components of the ecosystem including research centers, entrepreneurs, investors, patient groups and conferences. These components interact in technical and financial streams to move products from discovery through development to commercialization. The document argues that a purposefully built ecosystem can help advance innovation by enabling collaboration between these stakeholders. It highlights the Alopecia Areata Research Summit and National Alopecia Areata Foundation as important parts of building such an ecosystem to support new treatments for AA.